Cupcakes & Condoms: Jared Leto Finally Explains Why He Sent Joker-Inspired Gifts On The Set of ‘Suicide Squad’

There have been numerous versions of the Joker throughout the years, varying wildly throughout the worlds of TV, film, comics and video games, but , the Clown Prince of Crime is always

It takes a special kind of actor to put their own unique stamp on the Joker’s legacy, so Jared Leto certainly had his work cut out for him when he joined the cast of . But from what and his on-set behavior, this could be the creepiest version of the Joker yet.

Jared Leto Took Things To The Next Level On Set

“I saw him out of makeup once and I was actually petrified of him. I was too scared to go up and didn’t know who that person was, and when he got back into his makeup I was far more comfortable.”

Really? This made you more comfortable, Margot? [Via Warner Bros.]

Robbie’s reaction may be a little strange considering that the Joker’s persona is usually more scary than the actor playing him, but Leto’s behaviour certainly sounds unnerving beyond what most people would be used to seeing on set.

Leto’s Gifts Provoked A Strong Reaction

[Via Warner Bros.]

It wasn’t just Leto’s appearance that unnerved his fellow co-stars though. As most of us already know, Jared reportedly sent a number of disturbing gifts to his colleagues, including dead pigs, anal beads and used condoms. Many assumed that the gifts were part of a deliberately shocking promotional campaign that elicited strong reactions from fellow cast members and online fans alike.

Maybe we should all start mailing used condoms to Jared Leto. I want to be classy like movie stars.

— Scott Weinberg (@scottEweinberg)

That Jared Leto gift story is weird as fuck. Creepy fucker. Surely it’s against the law to send someone a used condom? It’s disgusting.

— MritalkApple (@MritalkApple123)

Co-star at one point and some critics even discussed , arguing that his actions could be potentially perceived as sexual assault.

The Joker disagrees, unsurprisingly. [Via Warner Bros.]

While it’s unlikely that Jared Leto will be imprisoned in any time soon, it’s hard to ignore just how strange Leto’s actions were on set, leading to wild speculation online regarding his motives. Up until now, Leto only had this to say to E! News about his performance behind the scenes:

“I did a lot of things to create a dynamic to create an element of surprise, a spontaneity and to really break down any kind of walls that may be there. The Joker is somebody who doesn’t really respect things like personal space or boundaries.”

However, in a more recent interview with Fox, Leto finally revealed the reasons behind his actions in far more depth, providing a legitimate explanation as well as further insight into his process.

So Why Did Leto Send Those Gifts?

“Don’t you like them?” [Via Warner Bros.]

Anal beads and pig carcasses may not be standard gifts for your colleagues, but Leto was keen to explore the intricacies of the Joker’s psyche on set, revealing that:

“The Joker loves to play games, he loves to manipulate. and that was part of the reason to do that… when you do give a gift to someone, even in real life, you think about what to get them, you think about who that person is to you, what would they like… It immediately started to be really good homework for me.”

[Via Warner Bros.]

For Leto, the process of selecting gifts for his fellow cast members became an acting exercise that provided deeper psychological insight into the Joker. It’s impossible to choose a present for someone without analysing the history that you share with the receiver, thinking more about both their personality and your own.

For example, Leto decided to give Will Smith a briefcase of bullets which acted as both a message and a threat to , reminding him of the Joker’s intent and power as .

What About The Nice Presents That Leto Sent?

So adorable. [Via Warner Bros.]

Articles up to now have focused solely on the disturbing gifts that Leto sent while working in character, but what many have overlooked is that Jared also gave out far less controversial presents, including cupcakes and even poems that he wrote for each member of the Squad.

[Via Warner Bros.]

Leto also revealed that some of the reports of gifts he sent were actually falsified, although when asked about the controversial used condoms, Jared wouldn’t confirm or deny whether that particular rumor was true or not.

That’s not the only rumor we haven’t been able to disprove yet. There’s still a number of questions hanging over Suicide Squad, including , whether and or solely exists in flashbacks.

Commas never hurt anyone. [Via Warner Bros.]

Luckily, we won’t have to wait long now until all is finally revealed when Suicide Squad hits theaters on August 5. We’re sure .

Do you think Jared Leto will be the best Joker yet?

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